Prayer – Part 1

Prayer – Part 1

Prayer. What is it? Is there a right or wrong way to do it? How often should we pray each week? What are the right words to say? Does God just listen or does He also respond back? If he responds back, how can we hear Him? In this weeks message, Pastor Paul Kiss looks at Luke 11:1-13 and Matthew 6:5-15 to answer these questions and more as we focus on why prayer is foundational to having an undivided life.

1. Jesus learned to pray

2. Truly listening requires intending to listen

“When Jesus’ disciples asked to be taught how to pray, Jesus didn’t give them a theory of prayer or a sentimental aphorism like, ‘just talk to God.’ What he did was give them a prayer, which is what his disciples expected. This is what Jewish rabbis did—they composed prayers for their disciples. It was assumed that the way to learn to pray well is to pray prayers composed by a wise teacher. So Jesus said, ‘When you pray, say…’ And he gave them a prayer. You want to know how to pray? Here, pray this…”– Zahnd, Brian. Water To Wine: Some of My Story (pp. 74-75)

Luke’s Version: [ Luke 11 – NLT ]
Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need,
and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.

3. Prayer is about being properly formed.

● So let this prayer form you.
● Know that God is always ready to enjoy communion with you. – Text: Psalm 27:7-8

1. When did you learn to pray the Lord’s Prayer and where? What memories do you have of it?2. How often do you normally pray this prayer in a given week? Why?3. Compare Matthew’s version with Luke’s, (Matt. 6:9-123 and Luke 11:2-4). What differences do you notice? What is significant about those differences? Does it change the content of the prayer at all?4. If Luke’s version is likely more true to the original prayer that Jesus taught, then what can we learn from the fact that Matthew felt free to augment it a bit to fit his scenario, for those to whom he was writing?5. As you reflect on this prayer, what is it teaching us about God, about ourselves and about others?6. How does this prayer compare with the Jesus Creed of Matthew 22:34-40? What are the parallels?7. How might praying this prayer every day begin to form you into reflecting the image of Jesus?

1. Pray the Lord’s Prayer in the morning and at noon and in the evening. Use alarms on your phone to remind you. Do this for 40 days and see how it forms you.2. Draw the Lord’s Prayer, or paint it, or sculpt it. Be creative in expressing it through a different medium than just words.